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Monte Cook's World of Darkness

I was checking out the links given by the 'PnP Bot' on the new White Wolf's release "Monte Cook's World of Darkness" and read some interesting opinions.

Some people were disappointed because it looks it's going to be a "D20 type", World of Darkness, some others argued that D20 Call of Cthulhu is a good product so why not to expect the same for WoD, and of course there are those who think this is a move of White Wolf just to reach a bigger audience.

While reading this comments I ended wondering if the system really carries such a big influence on how the players "Role Play the setting". A friend of mine said "The Media is the Message" and his opinion was that the current "Storytelling" system "resolve" conflicts in the same way either they are Social/Knowledge or Physical, which during character creation and development gives all three areas the same weight.

Is D20 really combat oriented? Does it favors "Hack & Slash"?

I use to play Old WoD Mage, and it was clear to me that you need a really good Game Master and a really Good Plot to get characters from each of the games (Vampire, Werewolf, etc) to interact with each other as a team. I still don't see how Monte Cook is going to accomplish that.

Anyway... find below a link to a friend version of Mexico Old WoD, he currently writes for White Wolf (Exalted). I am Mexican and I love it.

I'm of the opinion that it's not so much that a system dictates how something is being played, although it does contribute. After all without a system for social rewards/combat no one will bother statting up social skills as it would be handled out of game if at all. Take for example Exalted, which rewards players for coming up with off-the-wall descriptions of actions (Stunting). It's clearly a bribe system for getting the players to think of the game in terms of a movie and what would look cool, but it keeps combat from devolving into "I hit him" being replaced with "We fight atop the wheel as it rolls through the jungle. Occassionally I stumble as I try to reach for the pendant" -Pirates of the Caribbean 2).

On the other hand players have certain tendencies and will follow those regardless of game, which is why even in Spycraft, my characters tend to be two-fisted through the door types. So, I'll vote with the cop-outish "It depends".

On a sidenote, I detest the idea of a Monte Cook WoD, but that's mainly because I fail to see how the themes could be captured in a level based system (Don't we have CoCD20? already), and because some players in my player pool who hated white wolf because "It's too emo" are all of a sudden jazzed about it because "Hey it's D20!" Of course that's a separate issue of one side willing to try the other's favorite game (and enjoying it) but the other not returning the favor so I might be biased.

I use to play Old WoD Mage, and it was clear to me that you need a really good Game Master and a really Good Plot to get characters from each of the games (Vampire, Werewolf, etc) to interact with each other as a team. I still don't see how Monte Cook is going to accomplish that.

I agree, that would be difficult... most WoD fans usually have their "favorite game of all" and the others just aren't for them... That and all of the different games (werewolf, vampire, promethean, changeling, and mage) are predisposed to each other in some form. In WoD Werewolves can't really get along with anybody else (I mean hell they sometimes kill their own mates/spouses in a fit of rage), vampires only put up with the others to fulfill their own agenda, prometheans give off disquiet even to other supernatural beings. And I'm not too knowledgeable about Mage and Changeling to know if they are also predisposed to the others but odds are in some form they are. Being blunt these characters are made to not get along unless they are from the same "game". How a storyteller would pull off making it all work would involve somethings that would have "certain rules are law" people like me screaming "Did you NOT read the books at all?!?"

Last edited by Rain_Spider_08; 07-29-2007 at 11:16 PM.

"If you are flamable and have legs you are never blocking a fire exit." - Mitch Hedburg

"If you find you are falling into madness -- dive." -Malkavian Proverb

How a storyteller would pull of making it all work would involve somethings that would have "certain rules are law" people like me screaming "Did you NOT read the books at all?!?"

For players like you I quote page 195 of third edition Vampire: the Masquerade.

This is the most important rule of all, and the only rule worth following. There are no rules.

Werewolves are permitted to hang out with anyone(except vamps low on humanity and some mages). Vamps can find a way to use anyone. Mages are capable of interacting with anyone(a lot of very different character types here). Hunters and most of the flavor books were more or less made to interact with the rest. Only wraiths and changelings had a hard time because they were literally half in their own little world.

Last edited by shilar; 07-20-2007 at 05:14 PM.
Reason: spellcheck

Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

Looking forward to MCWoD

I have never played WoD. Not that I don't want to or wouldn't be open to it, I just have never had the opportunity and it's not a genre I am very familiar with. I can RP a dwarf pretty well, a werewolf? not so much.

However, I help out a my friends game store and therefore have access to upcoming material, which is where I learned about this one. Game Trade Magazine recently printed the introduction from the book and I was hooked.

It's funny how different games grab you. I think for me personally it has a lot to do with the initial presentation or introduction to the line. I have not been grabbed by WoD mostly because it does (again, to me) come across as emo or goth or something folks who are heavy into LARPing are into. However, after reading the intro to MCWoD it comes across more as a post apocalyptic survival horror kind of thing. Almost more along the lines of a D20 Modern supplement.

I hope I am not disappointed and who knows, I may just try 'real' WoD soon

Aside from the rock/paper/scissors/nursery school play pretend/poor hygiene one that traumatized me horribly. I used to play AMTGARD. They called it a LARP. But to me, it was just a means to strap on some hockey gear and go beat up out of shape geeks, get out my frustrations of daily life, and plenty of exercise.

I would actually recommend this game to anyone. Mainly because it was great exercise for people who rarely see the light of day or get off the couch. And plus, there were some really nice people out at the park whom I beat up regularly.

-Yes, I'm a total bully. I was that kid on the playground who took your lunch money, gave you swirlees, and made you eat worms.